The Topless Tour Bares All Around the World

From #IWokeUpLikeThis and #AfterSex selfies (just…ew) to now-vintage planking, photo sharing trends are nothing new to Instagram. But there's one gaining speed with a little more heart and a lot more exposure—literally. Introducing, The Topless Tour.

Started by three London-based dancers, The Topless Tour began during a moment of spontaneity while the roommates were hiking in Norway in the winter. In a bold attempt to see how cold they could really feel (because, why not?), Olivia Edginton, Ingvild Marstein Olsen, and Lydia Buckler took their tops off, faced their backs to a camera with a timer, and let it snap away.

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"It felt so natural, so free. We soon became addicted," says Edington.

The girls told people about their bare-all crusade, and a trend was born. People began sending in pictures, sharing their stories, and word spread over the globe. In just over a year, the threesome has amassed nearly 26,000 followers on Instagram and over 15,000 Facebook likes. From Turkey to Denmark, France to Finland, and Canada to Colorado, they continue to receive photos from every corner of the world.

"We love seeing all the beautiful photos and hearing the touching stories, but what is so wonderful is that underneath lies the powerful message of taking pride in our differences and embracing the love for the body," Edington explains.

A photo posted by The Topless Tour (@the_topless_tour) on Aug 15, 2013 at 3:26pm PDT

Their body confident Instagrams not only send a positive message, they add to the conversation about censorship, nudity, and what should (and shouldn't) be allowed on social media. And when Rihanna has been banned for sharing too much on Insta, you know the conversation's a big one.

The difference, the Topless Tour founders think, is the intention of the nudity.

"The experience of The Topless Tour is exposing yourself to beautiful places around the world, and the photographs shared are tasteful… Being topless doesn't have to be about filth and sex; the human body is beautiful. The media is infamous for shaming bodies and what we do is a celebration of ourselves and the beautiful world we live in."

So, the question remains—what's nudity in the interest of art and freedom, and what's nudity for nudity's sake? The girls haven't heard from the Instagram police about their account, so, presumably, the difference is the nip (at least to the social media platform). Twitter, for the record, is still nipple-friendly, lucky for the Scout Willis-backed "free the nipple" campaign.

A photo posted by The Topless Tour (@the_topless_tour) on Feb 20, 2014 at 6:27am PST

The girl's crusade is less about showing their chests to the world's people and more about showing their chests to the world itself, and unless Instagram pulls the plug, the girls will continue to do so. And while they aren't sure who came up with the idea to bare all in the first place, who resolved to make it a travel tradition, or who decided to call it "The Topless Tour," there's one thing they can agree on—this movement has power.

"The Topless Tour isn't just our story anymore," says Edington. "It's becoming a part of so many adventures and lives. It is so humbling to know that we are in someway responsible."